DeVotchKa; Basia Bulat @ Terminal 5

DeVotchKA; Basia Bulat; Fancy Trash
@ Terminal 5
New York, NY - May 20, 2008

DeVotchKa are the true gypsies of rock n' roll, taking big hunks of everything, notably Mexican and Russian sounds, and putting it together for both thunderous and symphonic purposes. When backed by their string section, they are luscious, atmospheric. But when they are at their basic 4, they are whip-snapping, Moricone-rock connoisseurs. This dynamic can be summed up purely in lead singer/guitarist Nick Urata, who can serenade like a crooner before sending the crowd straight to hell. Mad professor of strings and various keyboards Tom Hagerman and drummer/horn man Shawn King administer their departments with the upmost duty, and Jeanie Schroder is a thumping, solid bass player when she isn't possibly the only woman who can dance around in a dress while playing a sousaphone.
Terminal 5's sound was hard on that big sousaphone but other than that, the now notoriously crampy and difficult hall was generous to the Colorado contingent. Or it could have just been that DeVotchKa conquered the difficulties.

DeVotchKa & Basia Bulat together - Photo by Pennypacker

Nick has fun with a theremin on SPTV:


Basia Bulat, by all rights, should be the next mega female Indie rock singer. Her voice may very well be unparalleled in her generation. To call it exquisite is to do it injustice. It is beyond anything as humble as the word "exquisite". Her songs are little blankets of joy and melancholy, and her choice of covers - like Daniel Johnston - are as sweet and adorable as her demeanor. She tamed big, bad Terminal 5 with that sensational voice and her tiny, little catalog of music. She's a big dose of sunshine in a sad world.

Photo by Justin Wagner

SPTV insta-clip of Basia's "In The Night":


Fancy Trash are from Massachusetts and they seem like it. These guys should be working the door to the Newhart mountain hotel. These guys define safe, older, acoustic pop. That's not a swipe, though. They construct and perform pretty substantive songs.

Photos by Justin Wagner via KevChino

Sonic Parthenon photos (the old camera is on its last legs, sorry for the poor quality).